Speak English, Will Travel
Shoko Iida

I was able to get a gallery pass for international visitors to visit the House and Senate after I presented my passport. Then I took a staff-led tour of the Capitol. The House and Senate seemed to be smaller than I had imagined. I had lunch in the staff cafeteria, where there were various inexpensive dishes.

At that time, the White House was not open to the public. So, I managed to find a place to stand just outside the lawn. To my surprise, I saw what seemed to be a very important person exiting a big military helicopter that had just landed under tight security. I asked an American standing next to me if it was the President. She said she was not sure but hoped that it might be.

After that, I went shopping at a gift shop near Union Station. There was a life-sized sign of President Obama in front of the shop. I asked the salesperson to take a photograph of me with the sign. Whenever I now see the photograph, I fondly remember the good time I had in Washington, D.C.